International Board of Auditors for NATO (IBAN)

The International Board of Auditors for NATO (IBAN) is the independent, external audit body of NATO. Its main mandate is to provide the North Atlantic Council and the governments of NATO member countries with assurance that common funds have been properly used for the settlement of authorised expenditure.

The IBAN is responsible for auditing the expenditure incurred by NATO. The IBAN conducts several types of audits:

Financial audits of NATO bodies result in an audit opinion on the presentation of the financial statements and on the compliance with budgetary authorisations and applicable regulations.

Performance audits are carried out to evaluate the economy, efficiency and effectiveness of the activities and operations of NATO bodies.

NATO Security Investment Programme (NSIP) audits cover the expenditure made by NATO bodies and member countries under the NISP. The audit results in the certification of the final amount charged to NATO.

The IBAN is composed of six Board Members, appointed by Council for a four-year, non-renewable term. Board Members are usually members of their respective national audit institution or government officials with audit experience. They have independent status and report only to the Council.

The Chairman of the Board is appointed by the Council for a two-year term. The Board is assisted by auditors and secretarial staff with NATO International Staff status.

The IBAN was established in 1953, just four years after the signing of NATO’s founding treaty and has since been restructured to adapt to the demands of the environment in which it functions.